Bon Iver - "22/10"

Indie folk legends Bon Iver have returned with flying colors with the release of a dual single, coinciding with the announcement of their new album 22, A Million (details and the tracklist can be found here). The two tracks released on the single, '22 (OVER S∞∞N)' and '10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄' may have off-putting titles, but their unique blending of style says otherwise.

"22" is the folkier of the two tracks. Beginning with a continuous synth and a pitched-up vocal, the mastermind behind the band Justin Vernon sings clearly with a longing in his voice as reverberating and twangy guitars kick in. The track is a brilliant buildup of vocal and electronic layering, with tastes of sweet guitar interspersed throughout. The way Vernon longingly sings, "Where you gonna look for confirmation, and if it's ever gonna happen? So as I'm standing at the station, it might be over soon," sounds so heartbreakingly familiar. The song's a love song - it's about how love can get you through moments of uncertainty. The chords of the song progress in such a satisfying way that make the message all the more sweeter, and the symphonic bit at the end is just a beautiful ending.

"10" is a complete different story. Its distorted beat accompanies effected vocals that come in with wonderful harmonies. The vocals of the verse follow the same melodic formula as "22," but sound much more distorted. This track has a bigger electronic and eclectic influence in it than the last track; it's a different vibe. It has a lot of great moments in it, such as the string punches as the chorus takes out the song and the brass section at the end, acting much in the same way as the string section did in the previous song, but with a more bombastic flair, adding a different mood and color to the song.

Both songs appear as extended versions, but according to the track times, are only about 30 seconds longer than the versions found on the album. If these tracks are any indicators of what's to come on 22, A Million, an amazing album is on the way. Let's watch Bon Iver deliver, which won't be a problem for them.

22 Rating:  80 / 100

10 Rating: 78 / 100

Green Day - 'Bang Bang'

Green Day is not a band that goes lightly. Their new single 'Bang Bang' is a blistering punk track full with punk appeal and big riffs.

'Bang Bang' is the first new music Green Day has offered since 2012's album trilogy, ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, an experiment that met conflicted reviews. Many of the songs within the three records sounded the same and made listening through the albums a chore. 'Bang Bang' will be found on the band's next album, Revolution Radio (details of the record can be found here), and Billie Joe Armstrong promises that the album has some dimension.

Speaking of 'Bang Bang' with Rolling Stone, Armstrong claimed, "It's about the culture of mass shooting that happens in America mixed with narcissistic social media. There's this sort of rage happening, but it's also now being filmed and we all have ourselves under surveillance. To me, that is so twisted. To get into the brain of someone like that was freaky." The song definitely follows this message - the chorus chants "Bang bang! Give me pain! Shoot me up to entertain" to comment on the media's coverage on American shootings over the past years.

The song is full of blistering lyrics. "I want to be a celebrity martyr... Hurrah, the hero of the hour" and "I've got my photo bomb / I've got my Vietnam / I love a lie just like anybody else". As far as Green Day songs go, this one isn't forgiving by any means. It's as reprimanding of the modern American media as you'd expect it to be.

Musically, there are some interesting things going on. The song begins with a lo-fi recording of a news report before kicking into a big, upfront riff and a punk beat. Armstrong's signature voice provides a melody that serves as a leading voice for a revolution (an uncommon occurrence in Green Day music). It has a very call-to-arms demeanor to it - definitely going to a big song onstage. The bridge moves differently, a middle eastern melody taking form before kicking back into the big chorus.

Green Day's next album has a lot of promise. 'Bang Bang' feels like it's breathed a new life back into the band. The last efforts sounded like it was the band's steam dying out, perhaps as a result of Billie Joe Armstrong's personal difficulties. Revolution Radio has a lot of promise. Green Day is back!

Rating: 79 / 100

Korn - 'Rotting In Vain'

Korn has been through both the highs and lows of their career. Fans will remember the golden early era Korn, back when nu-metal was all the hype. Others will remember their experimental phase with contempt, especially their brief excursion with dubstep with The Path Of Totality. Since then, the band has slowly been honing their sound once more, and with another new album on the horizon, things are looking good with the new single 'Rotting In Vain'.

Progression is most easily seen when a band takes the elements that were loved of previous sounds and crafting something new, those ideas in mind while still finding a new direction to take. 'Rotting In Vain' isn't exactly progressive. Nothing necessarily new is found within the track, but it does take previous elements of Korn's music and builds a well-constructed jam.

I'm a sucker for when electronic music comes together with heavy music (thanks, Linkin Park). This is no Hybrid Theory, though; no band does that blend of heavy and electronica better than Linkin Park. The electronics in 'Rotting In Vain' are much more upfront and act as a replacement for, say, another guitar line (not to mention the guitars are drop tuned lower than a typical Linkin Park song). That being said, the melodies the electronics serve really add a lot of dimension to the song. The guitars wouldn't sound quite as immense as they do without them. It may not be the primary part of the song, but they definitely serve an important purpose.

It can't be unsaid that the riffs on this song are massive. The first riff that kicks in right after the intro buildup is immense. You can feel the earth shaking as if at a live show and the crowd jumps as this mental riff kicks in. The instrumental really kicks you in the face. The finally riff before the last chorus that is riddled with a phaser and the deep synth imitating it is perfect, too. The instrumental is a classic, epic alternative metal jam, electronics helping that come a little further. The vocal melodies support this too, though they do feel a little overdramatic. The growled vocals in the bridge could've been replaced by something a lot better, but it's Korn we're talking about here.

Speaking over overdramatic, take a look at that music video. The more I watch it, the more lost I feel. It doesn't seem to contain much meaning - just the band playing in an old, creepy house with a well-dressed man (played by Sons Of Anarchy actor Tommy Flanagan) doing some creepy things. It's one of those videos that piles in a lot of edginess in order to seem like it has meaning, where in reality they stuck Jonathan Davis in a bathtub with leaves and told him "pretend these leaves are hurting you."

Musically, Korn seems to getting back to that hold they had on metal they had in their prime. 'Rotting In Vain' feels fresh and big, still undeniably a Korn song but also feels new. With the new album The Serenity Of Suffering dropping in October, hopefully the album lives up to the hype this song has raised. If it does, we're in for a big one.

Rating: 85 / 100

Desiigner - 'Tiimmy Turner'

Desiigner didn't exactly come in guns blazing with his debut project New English, released late last month. There was lots of criticism for it - and apparently he didn't want anything less than perfect remarks on it (sorry, man). He's back with his response to the haters, though. 'Tiimmy Turner' is his first new track since the mixtape's release, and it's his best song yet.

My major gripe with New English was that it sounded exactly like Future, an artist who, at this point, I am just completely sick of. His unchanging, monotonous flow and his tendency to rip himself off with every song is getting old. 'Tiimmy' feels different than that. Desiigner finally has an original sound he's starting to wrap himself around with now.

Now, I can't pass it up without saying; yes, the Future sound isn't completely gone. The intro and the second verse especially have Future written all over it. But this track has something that makes it bearable - replayable, even - that Future lacks. This song has a mood. Desiigner sings on this track and the melody is just fantastic. It has the progression of a spiritual chant, and really sets a creepy and brooding mood for the song. The way the bass synth imitates that line is also fantastic. The chorus also has a sense of melody to it that Desiigner didn't explore much with in New English, and it really does work for him. It sounds great - the Future rap style is passable with this because the entire song isn't the same exact sound and flow. There are clear differences and it really gives the track some integrity.

Another part of the track I love is the instrumental. The entire song has a progressive instrumental, beginning dark and plays to the mood of the vocal melody he sets up. The entire intro section is a cappella and sounds you could make with the human body - a bare bones approach to a track that grows over time. Snaps make way to a ghastly choir, backed by synths and a piano. Synths build up over time, punching in and out, making way for different elements. The best part of the instrumental, however, is the ending. Halfway through the final chorus, the instrumental changes completely. It develops a more positive resolution, as if its brining Desiigner into a new light. The song feels like an awakening, the instrumental being the revelation. The synth solo at the end is also a brilliant touch.

'Tiimmy Turner' is without a doubt Desiigner's best song. It isn't obnoxious like 'Panda', it doesn't rip off Future, and it feels original. It sounds fresh and new, something hip-hop hasn't heard in a long time. The way he plays with melody really accentuates the choruses and allows for the classic Future style of the verses to exist as independent flows. If Desiigner follows this direction, he's bound for success. This is his niche. Let's hope he doesn't miss that.

Rating: 87 / 100 

Prophets Of Rage - 'Prophets Of Rage'

There are few things people want more than a Rage Against The Machine revival. What we got is what people didn't know they wanted: a supergroup consisting of members of RATM, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill. That would be Prophets Of Rage, whose mission is clear: "We're an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing," as Tom Morello put it. With the turmoil of America's most tense election yet, the Prophets are ready to make their voices loud and clear, and hopefully do the same for their listeners.

There isn't too much too their debut single 'Prophets Of Rage'. The song was released It started with a siren before Tom Morello delivers a blistering punk rock riff he's known for (no weird effects in this one, though!). The song truly is a simple one, the verses hard and featuring a dinky bent guitar reprising itself over a distorted bass line while Chuck D, DJ Lord, and B-Real all deliver enraged verses before going into the call-to-arms chorus that chants, "Clear the way / Clear the way / I'm away from the prophets of rage!"

This recording lives up to its predecessor; the first verse stays true to Public Enemy's own 'Prophets Of Rage' from 1988's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. Both tracks, as well as sharing titles, also can claim they share the proud declaration of "The points made / You consider it done / By the prophets of rage!" Prophets Of Rage are taking the hip-hop flair of Public Enemy and adding the groove of Rage Against The Machine - a combination that was built to work from the start.

The Prophets Of Rage have a busy year ahead of them. The turmoil of this election season is nowhere near over, and November 8 likely won't be the end of it. This supergroup is carrying the flag on their backs, and they're not letting it fall any time soon. Make way for the Prophets Of Rage.

Rating: 70 / 100

Major Lazer - 'Cold Water' (ft. Justin Bieber & MØ)

2016 has lacked the true song of the summer. While we're well into it by now, there's still time. Major Lazer may have finally given us the answer to our problem. The new, highly-anticipated 'Cold Water' featuring Justin Bieber and MØ has finally dropped, and it's the chill track this summer was waiting for.

'Cold Water' is the perfect blend of chill and dance vibing. Bieber's vocal delivery on this track is spot on. From the second the song kicks in, his vocal adds flavor to the confession he sings: "Everybody gets high sometimes, you know / What else can we do when we're feeling low? / So take a deep breath and let it go / You shouldn't be drowning on your own". His melody flows with the sweet guitar licks and synth punches as the background harmonies create the perfect chords.

MØ's contribution may not be as significant as Bieber's, but it's still a great one. Her verse serves as a bridge, the instrumental sweetly building up behind her strong vocals. The final chorus kicks in with Bieber kicking back in for a sweet duet between the two, MØ's voice strongly harmonizing with Bieber's gentle "I'll be your lifeline tonight" lines. The song ends quietly, the arpeggiated guitar chords (the add so much color to the track, might I add) replacing MØ's harmony, a subtle but brilliant way of closing out the song.

Is 'Cold Water' the song of the summer? It has the potential to be. Chill and blue vibes and boasting some of pop's biggest names, it's definitely up there. It'll be getting major airplay soon, and it's bound to be on everyone's playlists. Turn the song on, lay back with someone close to you, and enjoy the fresh air. That's what this song's built for.

Rating: 85 / 100 

Katy Perry - 'Rise'

No one does pop like Katy Perry does. Her signature voice and fun sound often gives way to the summer's biggest jams and sweet tracks to accompany the realities of every day life. After nearly two years of general studio silence since her last record PRISM, Katy Perry has returned out of the blue with the massive new single 'Rise', an uplifting anthem that will be part of the soundtrack to your success story.

'Rise' is huge track. It has a very anthemic and call-to-arms vibe to it, its electronics and immense synths building giant walls of noise, the pulsating sound moving like your heartbeat as you race to the finish line. Perry confidently chants, "When the fire's at my feet again / And the vultures all start circling / They're whispering, 'you're out of time' / But still, I rise" in the chorus, painting the picture of being at the end of hope, but fighting back against that. This song screams hope and energy - that final push to keep going.

Sonically, this song feels really pleasing to listen to. The intro features Katy Perry singing reverberates almost defeatedly as a brooding beat kicks into the atmospheric synth. The pre-chorus builds up epically with powerful splashes of percussion bring the song to its massive chorus, the beat pounding as Katy's voice soars above a cavernous instrumental. The song continues in much the same way throughout, without much change. It doesn't really feel like it needs much changing - the song flows incredibly well and doesn't lose pace or conviction as it progresses. The vocalizations towards the end are a great touch, providing for one final epic touch before the song concludes.

'Rise' is a motivational song in the simplest sense. It's about rising up against the rest when everything is against you. That seems to be the recurring theme for the songs chosen to be the song of the Olympics. Katy Perry really channeled that awesome feeling of beating all expectations and coming out on top. This could also mean her next album is just on the horizon, and that'll be a welcome surprise, too.

'Rise' is available for purchase via Apple Music.

Rating: 85 / 100

Jay-Z - 'Spiritual'

Seven people have died over the course of the last week in three different locations. First, Alton Sterling was shot and killed by officers while selling CDs in Baton Rogue, Louisiana. Then, Philando Castile was shot and killed in front of his bride and four-year old son by a cop over a broken headlight in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Lastly, in Dallas, Texas, during a peaceful protest in response to these events, snipers opened fire into the crowd, killing five police officers watching over the protest.

This is the state of America. It's starting to feel as if we can't go a week without another mass-shooting occurring. The line is starting to blur over what exactly our issue is; are our cops racist? Do we discriminate against blacks as if it's the normal thing to do? Do too many people have guns? All the issues keep piling up, as if we can't even come to a consensus on what the real problem is.

Some wager that nothing changes until someone important speaks. Many artists have turned to music to express their views on the matters tearing our country apart. Jay-Z is the latest musician to offer input, releasing a new single titled 'Spiritual'. The song was written a year ago, and seems to be more relevant to the Mike Brown case than this last week's events. This just goes to show, though, that as a country we have made little progress in correcting our errors, as the message of this song still holds true to today.

In a message released alongside the track, Jay-Z stated: "Punch (TDE) told me I should drop it when Mike Brown died, sadly I told him, 'this issue will always be relevant.' I'm hurt and saddened that I knew his death wouldn't be the last... I'm saddened and disappointed in THIS America - we should be further along. WE ARE NOT." The song was written a year ago, but all of it is still relevant. The pre-chorus of the song reads 'Spiritual, yes it is spiritual / No I am not poison, no I am not poison." The message simple, but the delivery sounds pleading, as if it's desperately trying to make the message heard. It seems that hasn't worked yet, as the song continues later 'Got my hands in air in despair / Don't shoot, I just want to do good."

The song has a dark complex surrounding it. The piano serves as the main instrumental melody, flowing mysteriously and all-too knowingly. The song is relatively simple in terms of instrumental, mainly focussing on the message rather than the means. It does have a dark sound to it that feels very rejected and abused, though, which takes that message another step further. The song is't anything special, beyond it's message, but that seems to be the point.

Will things change in America? How many will die by the hands of others before we say enough? Jay-Z's 'Spiritual' comments on the nature of black prejudice faced in society, seen as far back as last year with Mike Brown and as recently as just a few days ago. It's a dark place when the people supposedly protecting you are what you have to be afraid of every day. We can change when we find the love and peace in our hearts to love each other and everyone. That day just seems to keep getting farther away.

Rating: 73 / 100

I would like to offer my condolences to all of those lost and affected by the tragedies of this past week. The world is cruel and at times evil, but in the end, we will all see our way out of the darkness into a better light. Rest in peace to all of the officers and individuals who lost their lives and were injured, and our thoughts are with the families and friends to those affected, and to those who live every day fearing this is what they will have to face. Spread love, not hate.

Seconds To Stand - 'Burnt'

Boston native pop punk outfit Seconds To Stand has been refreshing the pop punk scene for a couple of years now, and have starting offering up some studio content. The band's latest single is 'Burnt', a fresh sounding taste of pop punk that brings you back to the mid-2000's feel.

The song begins with lo-fi guitar that confidently brings in the signature punk drum beat and distorted guitars. Vocalist James Smith gives a great vocal performance throughout the track, singing positively on a seemingly end-all situation, ending the song with the words, "And I don't know what way I can go / But I know I'm not too far / I'll just hold onto my head and my heart". The verses of the track feature sweet guitar licks from guitarist Ray Brunelle and a driven drum beat as the beat and distortion is taken up a notch for the big choruses, with Chris Weeler handling the low end of the track. Nothing really goes beyond standard powerchords and higher leads as far as guitar goes, but that all plays to the flavor of the genre. The buildup of the bridge adds a nice taste of difference in a song that admittedly doesn't change much throughout, leading strongly into the final blast of energy in the final chorus.

Seconds To Stand is all about being uplifting. Their music makes the most out of the negatives of life, making energetic tracks for people both to scream out to and relate to. The band's single 'Burnt' is a great representation of who they are; a fire that won't stop fighting. The only real complaint you can have with the song is that it sounds like a standard pop punk song - nothing besides it's message really screams innovation or something to keep the band separate from the rest. That being said, who doesn't like a good old fashioned pop punk track?

Rating: 68 / 100

Of Mice & Men - 'Pain'

After a year from on and off touring and going in and out of the studio, post-hardcore group Of Mice & Men have offered up the first single from the follow up to 2014's Restoring Force, 'Pain'. The song brings the band to a new type of metal they haven't truly treaded in before, distancing themselves from the scene hardcore and the more alternative metal sound of their last effort to an almost nu-metal sound with a modern flair.

The song begins with a frantic and effected guitar riff, before thick riffs kick in. As the riff becomes the focus of the track, vocalist Austin Carlile brutally screams to bring in the track. He mixes full on screams with dirtier growled vocals throughout the jarred choruses and verses. The instrumental doesn't really progress much past the main riff, percussionist Valentino Arteaga delivering a heavy drive complete with blast beats and double bass drum runs. Aaron Pauley's bassline imitates the heavy distortion of Phil Manansala's tuned-down riff. The bridge features a tense part with lo-fi military drums pounding as the guitars and vocals build back up to the song's heavy composition.

The music video of the track is as unsettling as that effected guitar riff. The main niche of the video is the glitchy of ballerinas doing what I can only hope is an interpretive dance, crawling tortured along an all white or black floor, their movements seeming possessed. Shot of the band performing are also dispersed throughout, though those shots kill the mood of the video. More glitchy shots of Austin Carlile are also used throughout the video, fitting in with the theme.

'Pain' feels contrived, though. The song feels just like it was taken out of the back catalogue of Slipknot. Perhaps they felt they needed to appease the crowds on the upcoming tour with Slipknot and Marilyn Manson? The song is nothing special, to be frank. The intro riff is great and had a lot of potential, but they just threw on a Slipknot riff and Austin Carlile's screaming and called it their own. It's not a bad song by any means, just... unoriginal. Another issue lies in the fact that the song pretty much sounds the same throughout its entirety. The whole intensity of the track is bargained on the riff and vocals... which sound exactly the same throughout the whole song.

If 'Pain' is to be an indicator for the rest of the album, Of Mice & Men may not have positivity heading their way. Restoring Force had a kind of poetry to it, the emotions of anger or want evident throughout every song. 'Pain' doesn't really feel like anything. The only emotion is in the title. There's nothing to it. Hopefully the album is better than this track.

Of Mice & Men's Cold World is out on Rise Records on September 9. More details are available here.

Rating: 50 / 100